Research on Ukrainian migrants in Lithuania: the role of cognitive processing in the Association between war exposure and posttraumatic growth/depreciation

Introduction. Despite extensive theory and research on community samples, cognitive processing pathways leading to Posttraumatic Growth (PTG) or Posttraumatic Depreciation (PTD) after war exposure in refugees remain understudied. This study explores how cognitive processing, such as perceiving the event as central to one’s identity and engaging in event-related rumination shapes the relationship between war exposure and PTG and PTD among Ukrainian migrants in Lithuania, examining the moderating role of dialectical self-beliefs as a new cognitive processing variable. Methods. 439 Ukrainian migrants in Lithuania participated in the study. The Paired Format Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI-X-50), Centrality of Events Scale (CES), Event-Related Rumination Inventory (ERRI), Dialectical Self Scale (DSS) were used. Results. Event centrality and deliberate rumination fully mediated the link between war exposure and PTG (b = 0.00, 95% CI [0.00, 0.00]), while event centrality and intrusive rumination only partially mediated PTD (b = 0.00, 95% CI [0.00, 0.00]). Dialectical self-beliefs did not moderate the link between event centrality and deliberate rumination (b = –0.08, p = 0.217) or intrusive rumination (b = 0.035, p = 0.531). Conclusions. War exposure was linked to PTG only through cognitive processing such as event centrality and event related deliberate rumination, while its association with PTD remained positive beyond event centrality and event-related intrusive rumination. Posttraumatic growth and depreciation in the aftermath of war exposure followed distinct cognitive pathways, with growth emerging through event centrality or deliberate rumination, while intrusive rumination strongly predicted depreciation. Dialectical self-beliefs did not shape these processes.